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Intermittent broadband failures

whatme
On our wavelength

For a few days now I've been getting intermittent broadband failures.  Service cuts outs and logging into the hub it shows the broadband is down. After a few minutes (5 to 20), it comes back up again, and everything is fine for a few days then it repeats.  Service status shows no issues in my area - area 26.  

Hub logs show lots of errors, but not sure if there are anything to be concerned about:

Time Priority Description

03/08/2021 09:25:42Warning!RCS Partial Service;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
03/08/2021 09:25:40noticeLAN login Success;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
03/08/2021 09:25:29Warning!RCS Partial Service;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
03/08/2021 09:25:28Warning!Lost MDD Timeout;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
03/08/2021 09:23:27Warning!RCS Partial Service;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
01/01/1970 00:03:21Warning!ToD request sent - No Response received;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
01/01/1970 00:02:37criticalReceived Response to Broadcast Maintenance Request, But no Unicast Maintenance opportunities received - T4 time out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
01/01/1970 00:01:39criticalNo Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
03/08/2021 09:19:23Warning!RCS Partial Service;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
03/08/2021 09:19:23criticalSYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Loss of Sync;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
03/08/2021 09:19:20Warning!RCS Partial Service;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
03/08/2021 09:19:18criticalSYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Loss of Sync;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
03/08/2021 09:19:14Warning!RCS Partial Service;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
03/08/2021 09:19:13criticalSYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Loss of Sync;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
03/08/2021 09:19:13Warning!RCS Partial Service;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
03/08/2021 09:19:13criticalSYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Loss of Sync;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
03/08/2021 09:19:2Warning!RCS Partial Service;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
03/08/2021 09:19:2criticalSYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Loss of Sync;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
03/08/2021 09:18:55Warning!RCS Partial Service;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
03/08/2021 09:18:55criticalSYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Loss of Sync;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;

 

Is there anything that can be done, as if I phone VM then it will be working fine by the time I get through to Customer Support and they don't see a problem.

1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION

Accepted Solutions

whatme
On our wavelength

Just wanted to update this thread as it was a positive outcome in the end.

The engineer turned up on Friday, just as another engineer turned up for my neighbour who had been experiencing similar issues.  It turned out the problem was with the network on the street, as well as a combination of bad connectors outside my property. Took a while to sort, but was all fixed by the very helpful engineer.

See where this Helpful Answer was posted

15 REPLIES 15

jbrennand
Very Insightful Person
Very Insightful Person
Post up the data from the downstream and upstream pages in the settings, and set up a BQM as below.
________________

If you haven’t already, set up a free and secure “Broadband Quality Monitor” to continually monitor the state of your connection and record any true network dropouts , latency issues, packet drops, etc - it will thus allow you to differentiate between those and simple wifi dropouts. It does it 24/7/365 and it keeps a visual record of any/all of your network disconnections, useful data to have to match to the Network logs (in your Hub settings) and also in discussions with VM - note it will take a few hours to start seeing a sensible picture - post up the “link” to the “share live graph” (as per instructions on the TB website) when it starts to develop.

https://www.thinkbroadband.com/broadband/monitoring/quality

--------------------
John
--------------------

I do not work for VM. My services: HD TV on VIP (+ Sky Sports & Movies & BT sport), x3 V6 boxes (1 wired, 2 on WiFi) Hub5 in modem mode with Apple Airport Extreme Router +2 Airport Express's & TP-Link Archer C64 WAP. On Volt 350Mbps, Talk Anytime Phone, x2 Mobile SIM only iPhones.

whatme
On our wavelength

Thanks. I've set up a monitor, that looks really useful. Downstream bonded channels

Channel Frequency (Hz) Power (dBmV) SNR (dB) Modulation Channel ID

1419000000-4.235256 qam32
2203000000-233256 qam9
3211000000-2.233256 qam10
4219000000-2.232256 qam11
5227000000-2.533256 qam12
6235000000-2.533256 qam13
7243000000-2.533256 qam14
8251000000-2.233256 qam15
9259000000-2.233256 qam16
10267000000-2.934256 qam17
11275000000-3.234256 qam18
12283000000-2.734256 qam19
13291000000-2.934256 qam20
14299000000-3.433256 qam21
15307000000-434256 qam22
16315000000-4.234256 qam23
17323000000-334256 qam24
18331000000-3.434256 qam25
19371000000-3.934256 qam26
20379000000-5.234256 qam27
21387000000-5.534256 qam28
22395000000-534256 qam29
23403000000-4.535256 qam30
24411000000-4.234256 qam31



Downstream bonded channels

Channel Locked Status RxMER (dB) Pre RS Errors Post RS Errors

1Locked35.545234873904
2Locked33.34326001524595
3Locked335112991503768
4Locked32.37800752473511
5Locked334409186438041
6Locked33.34077036416659
7Locked33.42378044415035
8Locked33.91703370429555
9Locked33.91457723438625
10Locked34.31320730426823
11Locked34.31252171391759
12Locked34.31150981334007
13Locked34.31069346291880
14Locked33.9975823257771
15Locked34.3901439245288
16Locked34.3877022252469
17Locked34.3872375250326
18Locked34.3835146242793
19Locked34.4781463189548
20Locked34.4807902182453
21Locked34.4780752157981
22Locked34.4750590129367
23Locked3559165797435
24Locked34.950327379180

 

Upstream bonded channels

Channel Frequency (Hz) Power (dBmV) Symbol Rate (ksps) Modulation Channel ID

13940000948.3512064 qam4
24620016147.8512064 qam3
35370044348.8512064 qam2
43260005846.8512064 qam5



Upstream bonded channels

Channel Channel Type T1 Timeouts T2 Timeouts T3 Timeouts T4 Timeouts

1ATDMA0000
2ATDMA0000
3ATDMA0000
4ATDMA000

0

 

I had a lot of T3 timeouts when the issue was last being experienced.

jbrennand
Very Insightful Person
Very Insightful Person
Down power levels are a little low but still within "range" but SNR's are a low too. Neither of those are great. Also RS errors shouldnt be there so can you reset to 0 as below. Lets see what the BQM looks like and that will help a VM person when they take a look at your connection in more detail - maybe in a day or two here.
_______________________________________

Switch the Hub off and unplug it for a few minutes and then start up. When done, check back in the settings and ensure that the RS error counts have all reset to 0. Then check every hour or two to see if they start reappearing - they shouldn't. If they do (particularly the postRS ones) you have a problem (noise) that only a Tech visit will sort.

--------------------
John
--------------------

I do not work for VM. My services: HD TV on VIP (+ Sky Sports & Movies & BT sport), x3 V6 boxes (1 wired, 2 on WiFi) Hub5 in modem mode with Apple Airport Extreme Router +2 Airport Express's & TP-Link Archer C64 WAP. On Volt 350Mbps, Talk Anytime Phone, x2 Mobile SIM only iPhones.

whatme
On our wavelength

Thanks for the help.  Just had another "outage".  Managed to snapshot the upstream and could see the timeouts again:

Channel Channel Type T1 Timeouts T2 Timeouts T3 Timeouts T4 Timeouts

1ATDMA0020
2ATDMA0000
3ATDMA0040
4ATDMA0060

 

Restarted the router and can see errors are still showing almost instantly.  Example:

1Locked35.79724410172
2Locked33.8181655122963
3Locked33.8180462115716
4Locked33.8177708110450
5Locked33.9170658102138
6Locked33.916115196088
7Locked34.415619795397
8Locked34.415797997213
9Locked34.415697294119
10Locked34.415791091081
11Locked34.415894182661
12Locked34.415448170398
13Locked34.914866060221

 

Looks like I need an engineer...

jbrennand
Very Insightful Person
Very Insightful Person
Yep - i will ask VM to come here to take a look

--------------------
John
--------------------

I do not work for VM. My services: HD TV on VIP (+ Sky Sports & Movies & BT sport), x3 V6 boxes (1 wired, 2 on WiFi) Hub5 in modem mode with Apple Airport Extreme Router +2 Airport Express's & TP-Link Archer C64 WAP. On Volt 350Mbps, Talk Anytime Phone, x2 Mobile SIM only iPhones.

Hi @whatme,

 

Welcome back to our community forums.

 

Sorry to hear you have been having intermittent service for a number of days. We can understand the frustration caused by this ongoing issue and we want to best help.

 

I have been able to access your account to take a look at this back end. The system has identified a connectivity issue that would cause performance related issues with your connection. We've automatically raised the issue to our network teams who will investigate and fix the fault in the area. We hope to resolve this for you as soon as possible.

 

In the mean time, please post the BQM when ready so we can further access this.

 

Thanks,

Akua_A
Forum Team

New around here? Check out the do's and don'ts, in our Community FAQs


whatme
On our wavelength

Thanks. That's good to know something is wrong and hopefully can be fixed.  Here is the graph from earlier, but obviously it was only set up earlier today so doesn't have much data yet:

24a9f940a3d9ec16e3b11548b3ce461c523acbb9-03-08-2021

Thank you for letting me know @whatme.

 

Please repost in the next 24hrs so we can monitor your service while our team works on a resolution.

 

 

Thanks,

Akua_A
Forum Team

New around here? Check out the do's and don'ts, in our Community FAQs


whatme
On our wavelength

I had a text last night saying everything had been resolved, but it looks like it's still an issue.

I've had three drop outs at least this morning - one whilst on a customer call which wasn't good!!

What is interesting is that whilst the broadband is down, my old Tivo box works fine, both picture quality and browsing internet content (movies to buy etc) using it's internal modem.  

BQM link 

3325bd5ebdcc24f3919d43f1ffa8230b78831557-04-08-2021

I also only have one channel showing on the upstream which I'm sure isn't right:

Upstream bonded channels

Channel Frequency (Hz) Power (dBmV) Symbol Rate (ksps) Modulation Channel ID

16029992257512064 qam1


Upstream bonded channels

Channel Channel Type T1 Timeouts T2 Timeouts T3 Timeouts T4 Timeouts

1ATDMA0010

 

Downstream shows lots of errors still:

Downstream bonded channels

Channel Locked Status RxMER (dB) Pre RS Errors Post RS Errors

1Locked37.6299036186294
2Locked36.63306430430340
3Locked37.63187653420655
4Locked37.33309596415107
5Locked37.33024974397057
6Locked37.32672549391577
7Locked37.62130740391061
8Locked37.61933596395740
9Locked37.31602925401546
10Locked37.61376473398519
11Locked37.61341265386498
12Locked37.31338161358246
13Locked37.61207614336605
14Locked37.31100968316989
15Locked37.6918019314323
16Locked36.6996039318030
17Locked37.3826082316190
18Locked37.3733851317649
19Locked37.6504027290318
20Locked37.6509272287570
21Locked37.3519842267126
22Locked37.3479084245338
23Locked37.3409381208835
24Locked37.6345251186788

 

Any help would be appreciated.